Cricket memories of 2011: Sangakkara and Dravid dazzle at and away from the crease

It is hard to name any current or recently retired international cricketers with more class on and off the field than Rahul Dravid and Kumar Sangakkara. Indeed, if we were picking our fantasy government made up entirely of cricketers we’d probably opt for King Kumar as Prime Minister and The Wall as his Foreign Secretary and chief diplomat.

2011 was a phenomenally good year for both of them.

Dravid started the year with many questioning his continued presence in the Indian side. He ends it as the highest run scorer in Tests (1145) and resounding acclaim for his inspiring Bradman Oration in which he fiercely defended Test cricket and urged cricket's players and administrators to tackle the game's challenges by taking decisions that would always "respect the fan."

India’s obdurate number three tends to perform at his best when his team’s back is up against a wall (no pun intended) and there was no better example of this then during India’s tortuous series in England. Whilst the rest of India’s star-studded batting line-up – even the mighty Tendulkar – struggled, Dravid calmly stroked three defiant hundreds to finish with 461 runs at 77 – just short of a quarter of India’s total runs in the series.

Dravid’s starring role came soon after Sangakkara had rescued the first ever Rose Bowl Test with a near six hour knock having prior to that struggled on England’s early season wickets.

Like Dravid, Sangakkara’s calm demeanour and impeccable technique is ideal with dealing with adversity; something that may help slow if not prevent Sri Lanka’s tumble down the rankings post Vaas and Murali. He emulated Dravid’s feats in England through his singular manning of the barricades during the series with a dominant Pakistan in the UAE this autumn.

Whilst he couldn’t prevent Pakistan from winning the series, Sangakkara saved the 1st Test with a heroic and monumental 644 minute 211, and amassed 516 runs at 86 during the three match series. His year has culminated with another hundred in the current Durban Test, which has seemingly set up a rare victory for his side and enabled him to pass 1,000 Test runs for the calendar year - the only player other than Dravid to achieve this in 2011.

But it was his Cowdrey Lecture at Lord’s that dazzled even more than his stylish accomplishments at the crease in 2011.

Sangakkara began by speaking of how cricket in Sri Lanka had slipped “through the crack of our anti-western defences and has now become the most precious heirloom of our British Colonial inheritance”, before explaining to a captivated audience the part cricket had played in easing the island’s pain of terrorism, civil war and the terrible Tsunami of 2004.

He finished by painting his vision of cricket as a unifying force in a country facing a testing period of reconciliation following the end of the civil war: "Fans of different races, castes, ethnicities and religions who together celebrate their diversity by uniting for a common national cause. They are my foundation, they are my family. I will play my cricket for them. Their spirit is the true spirit of cricket. With me are all my people. I am Tamil, Sinhalese, Muslim and Burgher. I am a Buddhist, a Hindu, a follower of Islam and Christianity. I am today, and always, proudly Sri Lankan."

Dravid and Sangakkara – as riveting to listen to as they are to watch at the crease.

Where next?

Rahul Dravid - The impenetrable wall

Kumar Sangakkara's captivating story

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Comments

[http://www.j-pipe-eng.com/buycheapjordansforsale.htm]

http://www.southeastnewcomer.com/jordansforsaleoreo5s.html mfgzvhg http://www.southeastnewcomer.com/jordansforsaleoreo5s.html xmbpzvcvwnr [url=http://www.southeastnewcomer.com/jordansforsaleoreo5s.html]http://www.southeastnewcomer.com/jordansforsaleoreo5s.html[/url]">http://www.southeastnewcomer.com/jordansforsaleoreo5s.html[/url]">http://www.southeastnewcomer.com/jordansforsaleoreo5s.html]http://www.southeastnewcomer.com/jordansforsaleoreo5s.html[/url] flgigixi Oreo 5s

[wow gold]

To begin with combine and don't earphones really like the wow gold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!